Why do you need a manuscript evaluation?

You write a manuscript, you show it to your family and friends, and they say it's wonderful. But do you believe them? Or are they just saying "it's wonderful" because they don't want to offend you? Deep down, you wonder. That nagging bit of doubt is why you're here. You suspect your manuscript could be better but you just don't know how. You need a stranger to give you a candid, professional and thorough evaluation.

When I evaluate your manuscript, I read it carefully. I tell you what works, and I also tell you where your manuscript needs a bit more work so your reader can easily understand and appreciate it.

This might mean extensive rethinking and rewriting on your part. If that's the case, you'll learn how to be a better author in the process. You really want to learn how to make these improvements before you submit your manuscript to a publisher or an agent.

That reader is going to be a lot more brutal than your friends and family. If you haven't hooked that reader in the first few pages, you'll get a rejection letter and never know why.

Before you send out your manuscript, you should do everything you can to make it "perfect." Your manuscript might have major errors, or it might be rejected for something really simple. You have only one chance with a publisher; a professional manuscript evaluation will maximize it.

Until you sell a book, you're unlikely to receive any specific, professional feedback. It's easy to get rejection letters, but that's not my idea of a manuscript evaluation. (Trust me -- I've gotten hundreds.) But without that feedback, how do you improve?

You know this. That's why you're surfing the Internet hunting down a phrase like manuscript evaluation service. Of all the services I provide, manuscript evaluation is the one I enjoy the most, and the one for which I receive the most positive feedback.

As luck would have it, it's also the service with the lowest price tag. Admit it. You care about that too.

What can you expect from a manuscript evaluation?

First and foremost, honest, detached, comprehensive feedback. Someone to help you "flesh out the story." A manuscript that a publisher or agent can work with. I love your mom too, but she can't give you that unless she's written a few herself.

Clarity. Plots and subplots. Pace and story flow. Natural speech. Description. Language. Readability. Organization. Spelling. Grammar. Word usage. Typos. Punctuation. Formatting. Multi-dimensional characters and a well-defined narrative arc. You want to learn how to look at all these things while you read your manuscript.

Does your manuscript immediately grab a reader's attention (the "hook")? Are your characters believable? Is your dialogue powerful? Do you have a good balance of dialogue and narrative? Have you chosen effective point-of-view characters? Is your setting realistic? Does your plot make sense? Is your pacing consistent?

When I evaluate your manuscript, you'll know.

I'll give your manuscript time, energy, and attention. I'll give you an editorial plan you can follow to revise your writing and make your manuscript the best it can be.

I will always respect your unique writing voice. I would never try to change that. The world is filled with qualified (and unqualified) editors, proofreaders, artists, agents, printers, typesetters... but none of them can write your book the way you do. That's what makes your contribution unique. So let's bring that into focus.

According to George Orwell, great writing is like a window pane. That's right. And I'm your Windex.

Why let me evaluate your manuscript?

Why not? I don't have anything else to do.

Okay, seriously, I've written seven published books, including several EPPIE finalists and best sellers. I've worked for several publishers deciding what to accept and what to reject. Plus, I'm just an absolute reading junkie.

I've been editing novels and textbooks since December 2000, and you can see some of over 300 published titles here.

I'm not a publisher, or an agent, or a book doctor. I won't try to "upsell" you anything because I have nothing else to sell. This is it.

You can view my Elance feedback any time. You can look at my resume. You can also learn about my writing here. Or not.

I began working at Twilight Times Books in May 2007 after previous stints at Books Unbound, Hard Shell Word Factory, NovelBooks Inc, Zumaya Publications, and CrossroadsPub. I also edited an English textbook for Zhejiang University (China) which was designated a Key Learning Resource. I spent almost five years teaching Advanced English Writing at several universities in China.

Oh yeah, and I've got testimonials too.

There are many editors on the Internet, but most have never actually worked in an editorial capacity for major publishers. Punctuation and grammar are only two of many reasons for rejection. Without actual professional acquisitions experience, an editor cannot know what those other reasons are.

A manuscript evaluation alone will not improve your chances of publication, and no honest editor can guarantee you publication. A manuscript evaluation doesn't excuse you from further work on your manuscript. You'll need to perform a thorough rewrite after a manuscript evaluation.

When your manuscript is finally in shape for line editing, there will be less of it to do. This will be far more cost-effective for you, and not nearly as aggravating.

Consider a manuscript evaluation a learning experience. If you're unwilling to learn, save your money. But don't expect to be published unless you're Daisy Ashford.

Okay, Michael, you've hooked me. What do I do so you'll evaluate my manuscript?

A million dollars in small unmarked bills should do it.

No, actually, I welcome manuscripts of any length, from a short story or an article to a full-length novel or non-fiction manuscript. If you're writing in a genre that isn't right for me, I'll let you know and recommend someone else.

Manuscript Evaluation Service -- The Specifics

My manuscript evaluation service costs US$1 per 250 words. You can pay me after I'm done.

A manuscript evaluation is like inviting an editor into your office to sit down and spend a few hours discussing your writing. I'll show you how to make it more readable, which will please both your publisher and your readers. And you.

Send me your manuscript and I'll turn on Tracking. I'll do some proofreading because I just can't help myself, but I won't focus on it. Instead, I'll just litter it with Comments like jazz riffs, off the top of my head, where I tell you what works and what doesn't. It's feedback on a very personal level from a seasoned professional manuscript evaluator.

I will be especially harsh in evaluating your first three chapters, because that's what you'll send to publishers or agents, hoping to hook them into requesting/reading the rest of your manuscript.

If you want to talk about evaluating your manuscript, send me an email. If you'd rather learn more about my in-depth editing service, read Editing and Proofreading Service.

Yeah, I could think of clever titles for these things, but that might confuse Google. Manuscript evaluation service, Mr Googlebot. Manuscript evaluation service.